Cannabis in Sudbury
Greater Sudbury's parks bylaw bans smoking cannabis and using e-cigarettes in every municipal park, which takes in city beaches, trails, ski hills and park parking lots. Outside parks, Ontario's rule applies: cannabis can be smoked where tobacco can. When Ontario licensed its first 25 stores by lottery in 2019, both licences for all of northern Ontario ended up in Sudbury.
Where can you smoke or vape cannabis in Sudbury?
Ontario allows cannabis to be smoked or vaped wherever tobacco smoking is allowed (see the Ontario rules page). Greater Sudbury's local addition is its parks bylaw. Municipal parks have been smoke-free since 2013, and a 2018 amendment rewrote the rule so that no one may smoke or hold lighted tobacco, smoke or hold lighted cannabis, or use an e-cigarette while in a park.
The city defines a park broadly, so the ban reaches much of Sudbury's outdoor recreation space. Officers can ask you to leave and can issue a summons; the maximum fine a court can order is $5,000.
| Covered | Examples |
|---|---|
| Water and beaches | City beaches, splash pads |
| Trails | Trails, boardwalks and walkways in parks |
| Sports and winter facilities | Ballfields, soccer and football fields, tennis courts, ski hills, outdoor rinks |
| Gathering spaces | Amphitheatres, gazebos, bleachers, playgrounds, skateboard and BMX parks |
| Parking | Parking areas inside a park boundary |
Streets and sidewalks fall under provincial law, as do restaurant patios, where Ontario bans smoking of any kind.
How did Sudbury become northern Ontario's first cannabis market?
The city consulted before deciding: an online survey in November 2018 and a random telephone survey in early December. Council then voted on December 11, 2018 to allow private stores. Mayor Brian Bigger said residents and businesses supported it, and that opting in before the province's January 22, 2019 deadline gave the city a larger share of future provincial funding.
Ontario's first round allowed only 25 stores province-wide, picked by lottery, with two for the whole north region. Both winners chose Sudbury. One of their retail partners said Thunder Bay, North Bay or Sault Ste. Marie were options, but Sudbury was the biggest market in the region. One was proposed for Marcus Drive near the Silver City cinemas, where the regulator received seven public comments, mostly about the nearby entertainment complex. The other was planned for Long Lake Road in the south end. CBC called Sudbury "the legal cannabis capital of Ontario" in March 2019.
| When | What happened |
|---|---|
| May 2013 | All municipal parks become smoke-free |
| November and December 2018 | City runs online and telephone surveys on cannabis stores |
| December 11, 2018 | Council votes to allow private cannabis stores |
| 2018 | Parks bylaw amended to name cannabis and e-cigarettes |
| March 2019 | Both northern Ontario lottery licences are headed for Sudbury |
Does the city decide where stores go?
No. Ontario municipalities could only choose whether to allow stores. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario licenses each one and applies the provincial location rules, including a 150 metre buffer from schools. Residents can comment during a proposed store's notice period, but the regulator only considers comments about public health and safety, youth access and illicit activity.
